George goedon prentice



(No Model.)

G.- G. PRENTIGE.

TYPE WRITING MAGElNE.

No. 427,609. .Patented May 13, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE GORDON` PRENTICE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO `THE YOST VRITING MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed May 15, 1889.

Patent No. 427,609., dated. May 13, 1890*.

Serial No. 310,828. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE GORDON PREN- TICE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type- IVriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to lo the stein or finger-keys, and has for its main objects to provide a construction whereby, first, the finger portion or head may be readily connected to its stem or support, and in a manner such as to obviate any relative turning of the parts, and by which, secondly, the key-lever may be connected to the stem or support in a simple and effective manner 5 and to these main ends my invention consists in the features of construction and combinations 2o of devices hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a sectional elevation of a portion of a typ ewrit ing machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation showing the head or finger-piece, the stem, and the key-lever stirrup or link, one under the other and in position for assembling. Fig. 3 is an en- 3o larged cross-section taken at the line :n an of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation of the tubular stem or support, shown spread open at its upper end in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a plan of the stirrup-blank. Fig. 6 is a plan of the same after having' gone through the rst stage of its formation into a stirrup. Fig. '7 is a front elevation of the completed stirrup. Fig. Sis an enlarged cross-section of the same, taken at the line y y of Fig. 2.

In the several views the saine part will be found designated by the same numeral of reference.

2 designates a button-head or finger-piece, which, as usual, bears a letter, numeral, or punctuation-mark indicative of the type with which it is connected. From the head depends a shank or stud 3.

4v designates a tubular or hollow stein or support split or divided lengthwise, as indicated at 5.

G represents the finished stirrup. This device is preferably made from a flat metal blank or strip formed or provided with two slots 7 and 8. The ends of the strip are subjected to the action of forming-dies, so as to give each a semi-cylindrical shape, as illustrated clearly at 9 and l0. The strip is then doubled or bent upon itself to bring the eyes or slots 7 and 8 in line or register. Through these eyes is passed one end of akey-lever 1l, 6o whose opposite end engages with a connecting-rod l2 of the type-movement. In assembling the parts the outer en d of the lever 1l 'ispassed through the eyes 7 and 8. Then the cylindrical shank 9 l0 of the stirrup is in- 65 serted into the lower end of the tubular stem 4,' which is guided or held in a vertical position by the bridge-piece 13 and perforated bed-plate la, and inally the shank 3 of the button-head is inserted into the upper end of 7o the hollow stem 4.

The insertion of the stirrup-legs 9 IO and the shank 3 is effected bya springing open of the ends of the tubular stem, as illustrated at Fig. el, which may be caused by a suitable tool. I prefer, however, to round or bevel the ends of the stirrup-s'hank and the button'- shank, so that they may spring .apart the ends of the tube or stem by awedging action. .The button-shank is held in place simply by 8o the spring or clamping action of the upper end of the split tube, and the stirrup-shanlc is maintained in position also by the clamping or spring gripping action of the lower end of the split tube.

I have found in practice that the gripping or clamping of the split tube is sufcient to hold the button-head or finger-piece (as well as the stirrup) firmly in place, and securely against any turning which would throw the 9o charaeterout of line or cause it to stand askew under the action of the lingers of the operator.

The construction, it will be seen, is cheap and simple, and the parts may be assembled or put together with great facility. They may 9 5 also be readily taken apart when occasion requires.

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a type-writing machine, the combiroo nation of a key-lever, a sti'rrup connected thereto and having semi-cylindrical ends forining a shank, and a split spring-acting cylin drical tube surrounding said shank, as set forth.

.2. In a type-writing inachine, the combination of a key-lever, a stem-key, and a stirrup made of a single piece bent upon itself and provided with coincident eyes 7 8 for receiving and supporting the end of the key-lever, as set forth.

3. In a type-Writing machine, the combination of a key-lever, a tubular stem-key, and a stirrup having semi-cylindrical ends 9 l0 entering said tubular stem-key, and having coincident eyes 7 8, receivingand supporting the end of the key-lever, as set forth.

4. In a type-Writing machine, the combination of a key-lever, a split spring-acting tube, a stirrup having coincident eyes 7 8, receiving and supporting the key-lever and having a shank entering the lower end of the split, spring-acting tube, and a finger-button or head having a shank entering the upper end of said split spring-acting tube, as set forth.

Signed at Bridgeport, inthe county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, this 10th day ot' May, A. D. 1889.

GEO. GORDON PRENTICE.

Witnesses:

S. H. HUBBARD, H. T. SHELTON, J r. 

